On the other hand, the Kael was far calr.
He looked at his mother with steady eyes and spoke quietly,
"You can’t bla Ivy." His voice didn’t shake, even though his fingers were clenched.
"The mont Max chose to beco a soldier, he already put his life on the line."
He inhaled slowly, forcing himself to continue.
"If you ca here thinking she would take responsibility and give you money, then you’re the one in the wrong. Not her."
Those words struck the mother hard.
She faltered, her expression stiffening.
’He’s right...’ she thought unwillingly. Her intentions had never been pure.
Even after her son turned into a zombie, she had secretly hoped for compensation, a pension, so form of accountability from Ivy.
’If I can get that,’ she had reasoned, ’I won’t have to struggle anymore.’
She panicked when her daughter noticed her hesitation, but the girl quickly leaned in, lowering her voice.
"Don’t lose your composure," she murmured. "From what I’ve heard, this Ivy is soft-hearted."
Her eyes flickered with calculation. "As long as we guilt-trip her, we’ll be able to live comfortably."
She tightened her grip on her mother’s arm.
"For now, we can ask forgiveness for brother in private. But we have to use this chance. Otherwise, we won’t survive."
Her lips curved faintly. "Even brother would think we’re doing the right thing."
Hearing this, the mother finally steadied herself.
She looked at Kael again, tears welling in her eyes.
"You can say things so calmly because you’re not the one who lost a son," she snapped bitterly. "You didn’t lose your brother."
Kael clenched his fists, anger flaring in his chest. He was about to retort when Ember suddenly chuckled.
"If I didn’t know better," she remarked lazily, "I’d think Max was adopted."
The mother exploded. "What nonsense are you spouting?" she shouted. "I carried my son for nine months in my womb!"
Ember’s smile vanished. She stepped forward, her gaze sharp.
"If that’s true, then why are you standing here holding everyone else accountable?" Her voice cut like a blade. "Why didn’t you go check on your own son?"
She didn’t stop.
"Why didn’t you stay behind? Why didn’t you find a way to keep him near the base, even after he turned into a zombie?" Ember’s eyes narrowed.
"Instead, you chose to co here and force Ivy to take responsibility. Isn’t that right?"
The mother’s face drained of color.
Ember continued rcilessly. "Every soldier who joins the army knows one thing. They either sacrifice themselves for the country, or they grow old and retire."
She paused deliberately. "Those are the only two endings."
Her gaze hardened. "Did you think your son would definitely co back as an old man?" She scoffed. "That was always the less likely outco."
Silence pressed down heavily.
"And if you want to bla soone," Ember added coldly, "shouldn’t you bla yourself first?"
She folded her arms. "You let your son join the military because the salary was better than any other job." Her tone turned cutting. "That choice was yours."
At her words, the onlookers began nodding in agreent, murmuring that Ember was right.
anwhile, Ivy stood unmoving. The noise barely reached her ears. ’Max...’
Her mind was still stuck on that single na. She wasn’t afraid of responsibility, nor was she so soft-hearted that she’d let anyone step over her.
She was simply shaken by the fact that one of her own had turned into a zombie.
When she finally snapped back to reality, the crowd had already dispersed.
Max’s mother and sister were gone. Ivy found herself sitting at the dining table, hands resting limply in her lap.
’How long was I like this?’ The realization made her chest tighten.
She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
’It’s okay,’ she repeated silently. ’I’ll find a solution. I’ll cure them.’ Her fists clenched under the table. ’I have to save my people.’
When she opened her eyes, her family was watching her, concern etched across their faces.
Ivy smiled faintly. "It’s nothing," she reassured them. "I’m just tired. After so rest, I’ll be fine."
Her mother and siblings nodded, visibly relieved. Alice, however, continued to look at her deeply, saying nothing.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. The zombies around the military base were cleared, yet bad news kept pouring in.
One subordinate after another turned into a zombie. People she had spoken with just the day before transford without warning.
The numbers were so high that even Ivy felt her body tremble.
’I miscalculated,’ she realized bitterly. In her greed to save more people, to gain kindness and energy, she had ended up hurting her own.
Sha flooded her chest. ’I don’t even deserve to face them,’ she thought.
As her mood sank further, a knock sounded at her door. With a weary sigh, she opened it.
Silas stood outside. The mont he saw her, he pulled her into a tight embrace. Ivy stiffened slightly before realizing how disheveled he looked, as though he hadn’t rested in days.
Most likely, he had just co straight from the battlefield.
Dust clung to his clothes, mixed with the faint tallic scent of blood and smoke, and his shoulders sagged with bone-deep exhaustion.
It was obvious he had been pushing himself for far too long. His eyes were heavy and red-rimd, yet beneath that fatigue lay unmistakable concern.
He pulled Ivy into his arms and patted her back gently, his voice low and rough.
"I’m useless," he muttered. "I should’ve done better. How are you feeling right now?"
Ivy frowned imdiately, lifting her head to look at him. "Why are you calling yourself incompetent?" she protested. "I’m fine."
He didn’t argue. Instead, Silas calmly stepped inside, shut the door behind him, and before Ivy could react, he scooped her up into his arms.
She let out a small gasp as he carried her to the bedroom. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he settled her onto his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
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